Vessel occlusion may be desirable for a number of reasons. Circumstances include treatment of aneurysms, left atrial appendage, atrial septal defect, fistulas, patent foramen ovale, patent ductus arteriosus, vessel shutdown, or various occlusive purposes in the neuro-vasculature and peripheral vasculature.
Embolic coils are often used for occlusive purposes. The coils fill the target treatment site, but may require a substantial amount of time to occlude the treatment area. Vessel plugs conform to the malformation, vessel, or target treatment area and can provide a rapid occlusive effect. Vessel plugs are often used where rapid occlusion is desired, since the vessel plug can quickly fill and conform to the target space. Vessel plugs, in order to be effective, typically should be easily deployable, promote rapid occlusion, and resist migration after deployment. However, conventional vessel plugs rarely excel at all of these factors.